The South African Post Office, asks us to inform the designated operators of UPU member countries that the nationwide strike, which commenced on 3 July 2018, ended on 18 July 2018 has caused system wide backlogs.

Accumulated mail is expected to take roughly 20 working days to be processed.

The South African Post Office thanks designated operators for their understanding.

The designated operator of Japan, Japan Post, asks us to inform the designated operators of UPU member countries that Gifu, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Okayama, Hiroshima, Tokushima, Ehime and Kochi prefectures in western Japan are experiencing typhoons, heavy rains and massive flooding, as a result of which many post offices, domestic sorting centres and mail processing facilities have been closed. Some roads and highways in these areas are also inaccessible to traffic, which is delaying the delivery of mail and parcels.

The affected districts and areas are in the following postcodes (as of 11 July 2018):

Gifu: 5000000-5099999;

Kyoto: 6000000-6299999;

Osaka: 53000000-5999999;

Hyogo: 6500000-6799999;

Okayama: 7000000-7199999;

Hiroshima: 7200000-7399999;

Tokushima: 7600000-7699999;

Ehime: 7900000-7999999; and

Kochi: 7800000-7899999.

Japan Post apologizes for these unavoidable delays. It will keep designated operators informed of the situation and thanks them for their understanding and cooperation.

The designated operator of the United Kingdom, Royal Mail Group, asks us to inform the designated operators of other UPU member countries that significant snowfall has caused major disruptions to transport services across much of the United Kingdom. There is a red weather warning for heavy snow showers and drifting of lying snow along the central belt of Scotland. As a result, Royal Mail Group has had to close its Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth depots overnight, with no parcels leaving or arriving on the morning of 1 March 2018.

Red weather warnings are also in place for Storm Emma, which is expected to cause heavy snow and drifting with strong winds across South West England and South Wales later in the day on 1 March 2018.

Amber weather warnings are in place for frequent and heavy snow showers across much of Scotland, North East and North West England, the East Midlands, East Anglia, South East England, Southern England and the West Midlands.

Where it is safe to do so, Royal Mail Group is delivering and collecting as normal, but there is likely to be significant disruption to services across most of the United Kingdom, with the result that same-day ad-hoc collections and delivery service guarantees nationwide have been suspended on 1 March 2018.

Furthermore, congestion at the Channel crossings is still causing delays for all Royal Mail export services to mainland Europe, and Parcelforce Worldwide guarantees on export services are suspended on Euro Priority and Global Priority services to all mainland Europe, the Channel Islands and the Republic of Ireland on 1 March 2018.

Royal Mail Group thanks designated operators for their understanding and cooperation and will inform them as soon as the situation returns to normal.

The designated operator of Guatemala, Correos y Telégrafos, asks us to inform the designated operators of other Union member countries of the state of postal services in Guatemala.

The procedure under way to enable Correos y Telégrafos to carry out its activities as designated operator and to hire additional staff is currently in its final phase. As a result, international letter-post, parcel-post and EMS services (inbound and outbound) will continue to be disrupted for at least another four months (end of June 2018).

Correos y Telégrafos asks operators to continue to hold items to be sent to Guatemala until services have been re-established.

Correos y Telégrafos thanks designated operators for their understanding and cooperation and will inform them once services have returned to normal.

The designated operator of Great Britain, Royal Mail, asks us to inform the designated operators of other UPU member countries that the extreme winds of Storm Eleanor have caused disruptions to deliveries, trunking and ferry connections. The delivery of letter post, parcels and EMS items is being affected nationwide.

Royal Mail thanks designated operators for their understanding and cooperation and will inform them as soon as the situation returns to normal.